i saw the sign.

Spotted: Belden & Sheffield Ave.

This contradictory message of a heart and cross bones stuck on a sign outside of the Lincoln Park Student Center acts as a sign for onlookers, almost warning that love is dangerous.  The heart's skull face has one black eye and one swollen eye.  I saw the sign and it gave me a black eye?

C3POlitical

Spotted: Fullerton & Sheffield Ave.

I spotted this sticker on a street sign by the Sheffield Parking Garage.  The quality of the photograph is not the best, but in person the wording was difficult to read.  It appears to be some kind of political statement, I am not sure who the figure is, it does almost resemble Harrison Ford?

elephants never are never forgotten.

Spotted: Fullerton Avenue and Sheffield

The second sighting of the FU Elephant on the mailbox in front of the Lincoln Park Post Office.  I have seen this multiple times throughout Chicago, and not just on postal stickers.  I'm not sure what is means exactly, but what I do know, is that it will never be forgotten.

[if you have seen this in another location, post the intersection]  

same message, but some assembly required.

Spotted: Student Center, Lincoln Park Campus

This was originally a flip book I found in the student center.  I attempted to film it with the intent to upload, but it did not even last thirty seconds and it was hard to view.  So, I took a picture of each page (without tearing it apart,) uploaded the photos, cropped and edited them, added them to iMovie, and eventually added audio.  Not exactly the simplicity of the artist's original work, but a sweet message overall.     

fresco state of mind.

Spotted: Belden Avenue & Sheffield Avenue

[black sticker, green pole]

[white sticker, same pole]

What do these stickers mean?  A common medium for underground art that is mass produced, but is it considered a 'tag'?  To determine this I needed more information.

I googled 'Fresco loves you' and this is what i found.  

Things we know about Fresco:

1. they love us

2. type of 'goods'

3. N.E.R.D. fan

4. zodiac sign: scorpio

What do YOU think it means?

a handful of help.

Spotted: Fullerton Avenue, Outside of John T. Richardson Library

Although the beat limitations are no longer enforced, I have come to find that when the demand for underground art is no longer enforced, the supply is in abundance. Also, I have thoroughly enjoyed each work I have posted, not just the piece, but the search that I undergo each week. Forming a network of awareness with others, receiving tips, or picture messages ties right in with our weekly discussions on citizen journalists. I post the information, but with the help of others who may have found it throughout the week. Almost as if they are the eyes, seeing the work, and I am the hands, posting it.

[shout out to Alex: well done.]

"JA-NAH-DA-MEAN?"

Spotted: Fullerton Avenue & Lakewood Avenue

[brick wall]

[post accompanying brick wall]

I have received several text messages and phone calls about this particular work in the past week.  So I had to post it.  

"JA-NAH-DA-MEAN?"

TAG. YOU'RE IT.

Spotted: Fullerton Avenue & Southport Avenue

Tagging was first used by political activists as a form of expression or for gang members to mark territory in late 1960s America.  But, what does it mean now?  'EDGAR' is no politician or political activist I have ever heard of.  Is it more just of a 'EDGAR WAS HERE' type of message, because in that case he must be a regular at the 7/11.

Ms. Interpreted

Spotted: South Entrance to the Quad, Belden & Seminary

I have seen this design multiple times, since the past three years I have lived in Chicago.  Mostly in the south loop, with different phrases filling the mouth.  The words overflow, evoking emotion from the face that is impossible to misinterpret.     

student surveyor.

Spotted: Student Center, Room 307

Jessie Eiseman, a junior elementary education major, talks about her experience with underground art at DePaul University. 

D.emon I.n a B.us S.eat

Spotted: Bus to Allstate Arena, Men's Basketball vs. Cincinnati

A cross-eyed interpretation of the DIBS, the blue demon mascot for DePaul, was drawn above a set of numbers next to the Jewish Star of David on the back of the bus seat on the 17th of January. The entire interior of the bus was covered with graffiti, the majority of it in the back of the bus, naturally. The facial expression of DIBS perfectly resembles the overall feeling of the returning ride, when the Mens team lost in the very end by four points.

love is in the atmosphere.

Spotted: The Office of Academic Enhancement, Student Center 307

A piece of DePaul stationary barely stuck on the wall in the small office shared by multiple student workers.  The overused adhesive on the back was barely sticky causing the paper to slip down the wall right after I snapped a photo.  It floated down to the ground.  Ironically, so close to Valentine's Day, I guess love really is in the air.  

look down.

Spotted: Art Department, Room 310

Of the wordless work I have found so far, the use of stencils for consistent designs have been the most visually appealing to me.  The spectacle stencil was painted on a doorway connecting to studio classrooms, a wordless message communicating to look at the class schedule before entering so not to interrupt a class.  Painted large and in bright pink paint, no need for glasses to read or understand.

DIRTY DI$HE$.

Spotted: Clifton-Fullerton Hall, 6th Floor Lounge

Last year Clifton-Fullerton Hall was notorious for vandalism and the damaging of school property.  From setting fires to the "poopitrator," the residence hall was always included in the blotter section of the DePaulia, which is why I decided to take a look around the building.  I went on a Friday morning, assuming that the hall experienced a rowdy thursday night.  I was wrong, I found nothing.  Just a superficial message written on a dishwasher in dry-era$e marker.

you have been invited to a masquerade hall.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   

Spotted: Seton Hall

[masks worn to conceal artist's identity.]

a DePaul student conspicuously hangs his artwork around the residence hall.    

others notice.

artist's favorite.

fruity pebbles canvas.

yummy.

only time will tell how long it will stay up.

common subjects: freedom and absurdity.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

disposable design.

Spotted: Dumpster on Clifton Avenue, outside of Munroe Hall

As the weeks progress and the more I post, the search for art has become more and more challenging.  The campus is kept fairly clean considering it is inhabited by students and is in the center of a major city.  The majority of my recently discovered works have been located with the help of tips, however many of them were scrubbed or painted over before I could snap a photo, proving that underground art, or graffiti is nothing more or less than disposable art.  

a political statement?

Spotted: DePaul Center 11th Floor, Men's Restroom

Scribbled on the bathroom stall in permanent marker, a message of frustration.  The context of the message cannot be determined, but only imagined due to lack of information.  The timing of this discovery falling on the day of the inauguration of the first African American President of the United States, is oddly ironic.       

warm message on a frigid day.

Spotted: Art Department, Room 310

[Beth's bench.]

[Message from Andy on Beth's bench.]

WANTED: INSPIRATION

Spotted: Second floor, SAC bulletin board

I had found my first work so easily, that I did not anticipate searching for the second one.  I looked on tables, under tables, desks, and even waited outside male bathrooms asking strangers if they had noticed any graffiti, which did not make the best first impression.  After I had almost given up and resorted to reading flyers on the bulletin boards asking for roommates, advertising studying abroad, and internship opportunities, I found what I was looking for: encouragement and art.

painting the campus green.

Spotted: North entrance to the Quad.

While rushing to get to my 3:10 African History class in the SAC, I noticed the spray-painted work on the shoveled sidewalk, under the archway.  A simple composition of a simple message promoting a greener earth and a healthier physique.  I dug through the deep pockets of my wool coat searching for my camera phone to take a quick picture before the falling snow covered it again.